It is an opening that comes earlier than expected, and which was also highly anticipated. Since Monday June 15, Ile-de-France cafeterias and restaurateurs can reopen all of their businesses. Since June 2, they were only allowed to welcome their customers on the terrace.

President Emmanuel Macron announced it during his televised address on Sunday evening. "As of tomorrow, the whole territory, with the exception of Mayotte and Guyana where the virus is still actively circulating, (...) will pass into (...) the green zone, which will in particular allow a stronger recovery in work and the reopening of cafes and restaurants in Ile-de-France, "he said.

On June 2, the bars, cafes and restaurants in the regions classified as "green" zones could have reopened, but not the establishments in Paris and its region kept in "orange", which had to be content to welcome their customers only on the terrace, pending the third phase of deconfinement scheduled for June 22.

The sector, which has 168,000 restaurants and 38,800 bars or cafes in France, was severely damaged by the containment introduced in mid-March.

As of June 9, a total of 8 billion euros in State Guaranteed Loans (PGE) had been granted to the tourism sector, including 6.42 billion euros only for hotels, cafes and restaurants, according to data from the quai d'Orsay.

Last Tuesday, the Secretary of State for Tourism, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, opened the door to this relaxation, saying that "the gradual decline in the virus should allow the reopening of restaurants as a whole by a few days" .

With AFP

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app

google-play-badge_FR